Antenna mounting bracket

ABSTRACT

A mounting bracket is provided which is adapted to support a television antenna and the like, and which is further adapted to be secured in the vent pipe of a house. The bracket may be composed of a tubular member having its upper end adapted to slidably receive and grippingly engage the mast of the antenna, and having its lower end adapted to be slidably inserted in the upper end of the vent pipe. A downwardly directed bell member or the like is fixed circumferentially about the mandrel, and is further provided with fingers which extend downwardly about the outside of the upper end of the vent pipe, and which may be squeezed together to secure the mandrel to the vent pipe.

United States Patent It 11 1 Nyulassie 1 [5 1 ANTENNA MOUNTING BRACKET [76] Inventor: Jack A. Nyulassie, 377 Freeport Blvd, Houston, Tex. 77015 I 22 Filed: Feb. 16,1972 21 Appl. 1 10.; 226,780

52 us. c1 248/43, 52/27, 52/219] 511 1111. c1. E04h 12/22, HOlq 1/12 2 58 Field of Search 248/43, 241,237; 287/118;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,464,658 9/1969 Perkins 248/43 2,795,642 6/1957 Fritzinger.... 248/43 X 2,943,832 '7/1960 Bouchard 248/43 Thorp 237/118 1451 Apr. 9, 1974 Primary Examiner-PAIfred C. Perham Attorney, Agennor Firn z-l 5dmu nd F. Bard [57] ABSTRACT I A mounting bracket is provided which is adapted to support a television antenna and the like, and which is further adapted to be secured in the vent pipe of a and having its lower end adapted'to be slidably inserted in the upper end of the vent pipe. A downwardly directed bell member or the like is fixed circumferentially about the mandrel, and is further provided withfingers which extend downwardly about the outsideof the upper end of the vent pipe, and which may be squeezed together to secure the mandrel to the vent pipe. 1

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ANTENNA MOUNTING BRACKET BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for fixedly joining one member to another, and more particularly relates to improved means for mounting an antenna of the type for receiving frequency modulated signals.

It is well known that amplitude modulated radio signalstend to be reflected or refracted off of the underside of the heaviside layer of the earths atmosphere, and thus an amplitude modulated signal may often be received at a location which is physically blocked by a mountain or by the curvature of the earth. It is also well known that frequency modulated signals tend to penetrate and escape through the earths atmosphere, and thus cannot usually be received if there is a physical obstruction in the path between the transmitter and the receiver.

It is further well known that television is broadcast with frequency modulated radio signals, and that the quality of television is usually poor or non-existent unless there is line-of-sight between the receiver and the transmitting station. Accordingly, it is preferable to receive the incoming television signal with a directional antenna of suitable design which is mounted as high as practical. Thus, it is conventional with residential-type television receivers to couple them to antennas mounted on the roof of the residence.

Most rooftop antennas of this type are installed in conjunction with the sale of the television receiver to which it is attached, and since the retail sales of television receivers or sets is, a highly competitive activity, there is a continuing pressure to erect the antenna as cheaply as possible. On the other hand, it will be readily apparent that an improperly mounted antenna may be dislodged and even damaged by buffets of wind and rain and the like.

There have been many different techniques and devices provided for mounting a television antenna and the like on the roof of a house. For example, clamps and straps have been used to fasten theantenna mast to the side of a chimney or vent pipe. Such a mounting technique tends to deform and sometimes collapse a vent pipe, however, since they are conventionally made of relatively soft metal. A chimney is usually stronger and more rigid than a vent pipe, of course, but even in this instance one or more bricks may become loosened and sometimes dislodged if the straps are fastened too tightly about the chimney. Furthermore, while almost all houses have one or more vent pipes, not all houses have chimneys.

In many instances, the mast of the antenna may be secured to one end of a pole or other extension means which is usually fastened to the side of the house, and which is long enough to erect the antenna above the roof. This type of'mount is expensive to purchase and install, of course, especially when the pole is long enough to extend from ground level to above the roofline of a multi-story dwelling or the like. Furthermore, such amount must be fastened to screws or the like which must be driven into the siding and wood trim portions of the house, and this tends to cause damage to the house which may be aggravated if the mast and antenna are blown down by a storm.

In another type of mount, the mast of the antenna is fastened to a bracket which, in turn, is secured directly to the roof of the house. Such a mounting technique is undesirable, of course, since it requires the use of screws and the like which are driven directly into the roof, and since it usually necessitates the removal of shingles or other portions of the roofing material. Moreover, it is usually necessary to brace such a mounting bracket with a plurality of cables which must also be fastened to the roof.

These and other disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the present invention, and improved antenna mounting means are herewith provided which may be quickly and easily installed with unskilled labor, and which does not involve penetration, removal, and any other permanent alteration of any portion of the structureof the residence.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mounting device is provided which has one end adapted to receive and be fixedly secured to the end of the antenna mast, and which'has its other lower end adapted to be inserted into'and be fixedly secured to the upper end of a conventional vent pipe. More particularly, the device is preferably composed of hollow sleeve or tubular member having one end provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots to form a corresponding plurality of finger-like extensions. These fingers are preferably surrounded by gripping means of suitable design, such as a C-clamp. Accordingly, when the lower end of the antenna mast is slidably inserted into the slotted upper end of the hollow sleeve, the C- clamp may thereafter be immediately tightened to squeeze the finger-like extensions of the sleeve into gripping engagement with the surface of the antenna mast.

The sleeve is preferably of a size whereby its other or lower end may be slidably inserted into the upper end of the vent pipe without significant binding between abutting surfaces. However, a bell-like member is also fixedly secured to the outer surface of the sleeve, and is preferably formed so that its downwardly directed flared portion will fit slidably about the exterior surface of the vent pipe. Accordingly, the lower end of the sleeve may be inserted downwardly into the vent pipe only until the upper end of the vent pipe, which is accordingly thrust up into the flared portion of the belllike member, engages the inside portion of the bell-like member at its junction with the outer surface of the sleeve member. Thus, the bell-like member serves to stop further descent of the sleeve member into the vent pipe to maintain the antenna at a proper position and elevation above the roof of the house.

The flared portion of the bell-like member is also provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots, whereby the flared portion is formed in the manner of a corresponding plurality of fingers extending downward about the exterior surface of the upper end of the vent pipe. Thus, a C-clamp or other suitable fastener may be positioned about these fingers and tightened to bring the fingers into squeezing engagement with the exterior surface of the vent pipe.

It will thus be apparent that the foregoing device permits an antenna to be securely installed above the roof of a house in a mere matter of minutes and in a fraction of the time required when the mounting devices and techniques of the prior art are employed for this purpose. Furthermore, and to an even greater advantage, it will be apparent that use of the device of the present invention does not cause the slightest damage to, or alteration of, any portion of the house or other structure to which it is affixed. Although the fingers of the belllike member are squeezed against the exterior circumference of the vent pipe, the sleeve in the pipe will prevent the deformation or collapse which often results when the devices of the prior art are employed.

It is important, of course, that the sleeve not block or otherwise interfere with the venting function of the vent pipe. The sleeve inserted in the vent pipe is hollow, and thus the sleeve itself will not obstruct or block the issuance of fumes from the vent pipe, but the antenna mast in the upper end of the sleeve may stopper the sleeve. Accordingly, the sleeve is preferably provided with a sidewall aperture or window at a location above the bell-like member and below the lower end of the antenna mast in the sleeve, whereby fumes or gases issuing upwardly from the vent pipe into the sleeve may be discharged into the atmosphere.

Another feature of the device of the present invention isthat it requires no auxiliary cables or other bracing. However, the portion of the sleeve which is inserted into the vent pipe is preferably long enough so that the sleeve itself will enhance the strength and stiffness of the vent pipe. Moreover, the sleeve will receive and resist most of any torque which results from twisting of the antenna as a result of windstorms, and since the sleeve is concentrically positioned in the vent pipe, any residual torque which may be felt by the vent pipe will be completely minimal and unimportant.

As hereinbefore stated, the device of the present invention can be installed in a manner of minutes. It is a further feature of the present invention that the device can be similarly removed in a like matter of minutes, and by unskilled labor. Furthermore, since nothing is attached to any portion of the house except the vent pipe, removal of the device will leave the structure of the house in its original condition.

These and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the figures in the accompanying' drawing.

IN THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial representation of an ideal embodiment of the present invention mounted in a typical vent pipe and supporting a conventional television antenna above a roof or the like.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed representation, partly in cross section, of the apparatus depicted generally in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a different view of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional representation of a portion of the apparatus depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional representation of another different portion of the apparatus depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, there may be seen a simplified pictorial representation of a conventional vent pipe 3 extending'upwardly from a conventional gable roof 2 or the like, and supporting a directional television antenna 5 and mounting bracket 4 according to the concept of the present invention. More particularly, the mounting bracket 4 may be seen to include a lower tube-like strengthening portion 8 adapted to be slidably inserted downwardly into the vent pipe 3, an upper holder portion 10 coupled to the mast 7 of the antenna 5, and a bell-like member 9 fixedly attached to or joining the upper holder portion 10 and the lower strengthening portion 8.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the lower end of the mast 7 is preferably slidably inserted into the upper end of the holder portion 10, wherein the mast 7 can be rotated to aim the assembly of poles 6 in the desired direction. The upper end of the holder 10 is preferably fashioned into a releasable grip or clamp 12, however, and is further provided with a suitable fastener l3, so that the mast 7 may be locked in the holder portion 10 of the bracket 4 after the antenna 5 has been properly positioned.

Similarly, the flared portion of the bell member 9 is also preferably fashioned to provide a lower clamp 14 which may be fixedly secured to the upper end of the vent pipe 3 by a lower fastener 15 of suitable design. Accordingly, the mounting bracket 4 may be positioned on the vent pipe 3, and the antenna 5 thereafter positioned on the mounting bracket 4 as hereinbefore described, or the antenna 5 may first be attached to the bracket 4, and the assembled antenna 5 and bracket 4 thereafter mounted and then rotated into proper position on the vent pipe 3 before being fixed in position by the fastener 15.

The lower end of the mast 7 should, of course, be inserted far enough into the mast holder portion 10 of the bracket 4 to properly and adequately support the antenna 5 against the force of the wind blowing against the poles 6. As will hereinafter be explained in greater detail, however, the holder portion 10 of the bracket 4 is preferably provided with an internal stop or obstruction (not depicted in FIG. 1) which limits downward travel of the mast 7 into the bracket 4. More particularly, this stop is preferably located no lower in the holder portion 10 than immediately above the sidewall aperture or window 11 which functions to route to the atmosphere any fumes or gases which may issue from the vent pipe 3 into the hollow strength portion 8 and holder portion 10 of the bracket 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there may be seen a more detailed representation of an ideal embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1 and illustrating how the mounting bracket 4 may be composed of a steel tube or mandrel '20 having the bell member 9 fixedly attached to its central section. Thus, the lower end of the mandrel 20 may be stabbed or slidably inserted into the upper end of the vent pipe 8 to function as the strengthening portion 8 of the bracket 4 depicted in FIG. 2, and its upper end may be adapted to slidably receive the mast 7 and thereby function as the holder portion 10 depicted in FIG. 1.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, it may be seen that the upper end of the mandrel 20 may be provided with a plurality of equally spaced-apart slots 21 extending downward a distance so as to form a corresponding plurality of upwardly thrust fingers 22 having sufficient flexibility, whereby they may be tightened into gripping engagement with mast 7 by any suitable fastener 13 capable of squeezing the fingers 22 against the surface of the mast 7. However, a particularly suitable fastener 13 for this purpose may be provided with a' simple U-bolt 23 having threaded ends for receiving a pair of lock nuts 25 and having a connecting plate member 24 coupled between the threaded ends of the U-bolt 23 and compressible against the adjacent fingers 22 by tightening the lock nuts 25.

The mandrel 20 may further be seen to be provided with a rectangular exhaust port 11 for discharging fumes released into the mandrel 20 by the vent pipe 3. In addition, a portion of the wall of the mandrel 20 at the upper edge of the port 19 is preferably bent into a flap 26 extending into and laterally across the interior of the mandrel 20 for supporting the butt end of the mast 7 as further illustrated in FIG. 4. Accordingly, this flap 26 may be seen to function as the stop hereinbefore referred to in connection with FIG. 1, although other types of stops may conveniently be provided without departing from the essential concept of the present invention. 7

Referring now to the bell member 9 depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, it may be seen that this component may conveniently be formed of a short section of tubing or the like having an inside diameter substantially matching the outside diameter of the mandrel 20.. The upper end 28 of the bell member 9 may thus be welded or otherwise fixedly attached to the mandrel 20 below the exhaust port 19. The lower or flared portion 29 of the bell member 9 may conveniently be formed by cutting a plurality of equally spaced-apart and downwardly ex tending slots 34 in the lower end of the bell member 9 to form a corresponding plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending flexible fingers 31. The purpose of forming the fingers 31 in an outwardly flaring or extending manner is, of course, to cause the fingers 31 to extend slidably'downward about the upper end of the vent pipe 3 when the lower end of the mandrel 20 is inserted into the vent pipe 3. Accordingly, the fingers 31 will permit the mandrel 20 to slide downward into the vent pipe 3 until the upper rim of the vent pipe 3 comes into abutting engagement with the inside surface of the angular portion 30 of the fingers 31 and is thereby prevented from further insertion into the vent pipe 3. Nevertheless, as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mandrel 20 is preferably long enough so that it will extend for at least 18-24 inches into the vent pipe 3, whereby the lower end of the mandrel 20 will function adequately as the strengthening member 8 referred to in FIG. 1.

In this embodiment of the present invention, it is intended that the fingers 31 perform the function of the lower clamp 14 hereinbefore described with respect to FIG. 1. Accordingly, a suitable fastener is disposed about the fingers 31 for squeezing them into gripping engagement with the exterior surface of the vent pipe Referring now to FIG. 5, there may be seen a pictorial representation of one form of the fastener 15 depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 which has been found especially suitable for the purposes of the present invention. In particular, the fastener 15 may be seen to be composed of a U-bolt 32 disposed about the spread-apart fingers 31 and having threaded ends for receiving a suitable pair of lock nuts 35 of conventional design. Also mounted on and between the ends of the U-bolt 32 is a spreader plate 37 having a pair of sleeve portions 36 for slidably accommodating the threaded ends of the U-bolt 32, and also having a curved edge confronting the adjacent one or ones of the fingers 31. Thus, when the lock nuts 35 are tightened the plate 37 will be forced toward the curved intermediate portion of the U-bolt 32, and this will tend to squeeze the fingers 31 together into gripping engagement with the exterior surface of the vent pipe 3 (not depicted in FIG.

Other types of fasteners 13 and 15 may be used for the purposes of the present invention, of course, provided such fasteners compress the fingers with substantially equal force. Both the mandrel 20 and the bell member 9 are preferably formed of steel or some other metal of suitable tensile strength and durability, but they may also be formed of some other material such as a suitable plastic. It should be further noted that although the primary intended use of this mounting bracket 4 is to support a television antenna 5 or the like, a coupling device embodying the basic concept of the present invention may be conveniently used for a variety of purposes and applications.

Various other modifications and alternatives will be apparent which will be within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be clearly understood that the methods and structures hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are exemplary only and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A mounting bracket for interconnecting a television antenna to the upper end of an open vent pipe of the plumbing of a house and the like, comprising I a tubular mandrel member having a first open end provided with a first plurality of flexible spacedapart finger portions adapted and arranged to re-,

ceive and encompass the mast of said antenna and a second open end arranged and adapted to be slidably inserted into said upper end of said vent pipe,

said mandrel member further having a sidewall aperture located between said open ends of said mandrel member,

a generally cylindrical bell-like member concentrically disposed about said mandrel member between said second open end thereof and said sidewall aperture and having a smaller end fixedly closed about the exterior of said mandrel member and a larger end provided with a second plurality of flexible spaced-apart finger portions spaced from and about the exterior surface of said mandrel member and extending toward said second open end thereof,

first clamping means disposed about said first open end of said mandrel for squeezing said first plurality of finger portions together about the longitudinal axis of said mandrel member, and

second clamping means disposed about said larger end of said bell member for squeezing said second plurality of finger portions together about the exterior surface of said mandrel member, 7

said mandrel member further having a stop portion located adjacent said sidewall aperture therein and within the interior of said mandrel member.

2. The mounting bracket described in claim 1, wherein said stop portion located internally and adjacent said sidewall aperture in said mandrel member supports said mast portion of said antenna inserted into said first open end of said mandrel member.

3. The mounting bracket described in claim 2,-

wherein said first and second flexible finger portions of said mandrel and bell-like members are relatively resilient in character.

4. The mounting bracket described in claim 3, wherein said smaller end of said bell-like member is arranged with said mandrel member and adapted to limit any insertion of said second opposite end of said mandrel member into said open upper end of said vent pipe.

5. The mounting bracket described in claim 4, wherein said stop portion of said mandrel member is located between said sidewall aperture therein and said receiving said mandrel member. 

1. A mounting bracket for interconnecting a television antenna to the upper end of an open vent pipe of the plumbing of a house and the like, comprising a tubular mandrel member having a first open end provided with a first plurality of flexible spaced-apart finger portions adapted and arranged to receive and encompass the mast of said antenna and a second open end arranged and adapted to be slidably inserted into said upper end of said vent pipe, said mandrel member further having a sidewall aperture located between said open ends of said mandrel member, a generally cyliNdrical bell-like member concentrically disposed about said mandrel member between said second open end thereof and said sidewall aperture and having a smaller end fixedly closed about the exterior of said mandrel member and a larger end provided with a second plurality of flexible spaced-apart finger portions spaced from and about the exterior surface of said mandrel member and extending toward said second open end thereof, first clamping means disposed about said first open end of said mandrel for squeezing said first plurality of finger portions together about the longitudinal axis of said mandrel member, and second clamping means disposed about said larger end of said bell member for squeezing said second plurality of finger portions together about the exterior surface of said mandrel member, said mandrel member further having a stop portion located adjacent said sidewall aperture therein and within the interior of said mandrel member.
 2. The mounting bracket described in claim 1, wherein said stop portion located internally and adjacent said sidewall aperture in said mandrel member supports said mast portion of said antenna inserted into said first open end of said mandrel member.
 3. The mounting bracket described in claim 2, wherein said first and second flexible finger portions of said mandrel and bell-like members are relatively resilient in character.
 4. The mounting bracket described in claim 3, wherein said smaller end of said bell-like member is arranged with said mandrel member and adapted to limit any insertion of said second opposite end of said mandrel member into said open upper end of said vent pipe.
 5. The mounting bracket described in claim 4, wherein said stop portion of said mandrel member is located between said sidewall aperture therein and said first plurality of finger portions composing said first open end of said mandrel member.
 6. The mounting bracket described in claim 5, wherein said sidewall aperture is located in said mandrel member to provide intercommunication between the ambient atmosphere and the interior of said mandrel member and the upper open end of any vent pipe receiving said mandrel member. 